Blacklight Thief
by Aubrie1234
Summary: After the nuke went off, Alex wakes up to find himself in an alternate past, in a place only known as the City with a 'Master Thief' roaming around. But with the thief's reputation of dealing with the supernatural, Alex thinks the guy can help. Too bad Garrett doesn't think the same. (Will be rated M in later chapters, not sure when yet)
1. Chapter 1

Blacklight Thief

By: Aubrie1234

* * *

The Docks seemed to be calm that day, with workers bustling about and getting things done. One of the ships rocked slightly from the waves that brushed against it, but the wave wasn't a normal one. Out of sight of those working, something crawled out of the water and hid behind some crates. The thing was only known as Alex Mercer. He looked to be about 29, but his clothes stood out from everyone else's, having a shirt with a hood, pants made of a tougher cloth, and shoes with strings. He panted, coughing up water and holding his chest as he tried to get his bearings. He had just gotten the nuke away from NYZ and had regenerated himself, but was now in a completely unfamiliar place.

Going through the endless memories and knowledge of those he had consumed, Alex knew that he was somehow in a medieval-like place. Medieval places like this one should only exist in Renaissance fairs and such, but he knew this wasn't the case. Somehow, the explosion of the nuke had sent him back in time; it was the only explanation given from all the facts. Knowing that he could learn more if he ate someone, he waited until a dockhand came close before muffling the man and consuming him. Transforming into him, Alex learned the man's name and everything else about him, including where he was and what year it was.

The year wasn't really known, since no one cared about it, and he was in a place only known as the City. The City was run by the corrupt and uncaring upper class, the middle class was in between as usual, but there was also quite a bit of the lower class and its beggars, street urchins, and thieves. In fact, there was a thief that seemed to stand out from the others, known only as the Master Thief. He was the best at what he did, apparently, but not much else was known about him from the man's memories and knowledge. Curious about the Master Thief, Alex went deeper into the City to learn more about him and the City.

As he consumed others, Alex learned of the factions and religions that engulfed almost everything about the City. There were the Hammerites, the Mechanists (a now-dead faction that came off of the Hammerites), and the Pagans. Metal versus Nature, causing a sort of steampunk feel about the City. Alex could see this from the electric and fire lamps that stood side by side and the cameras he saw around the richer houses. Magic was also prevalent, or at least it used to be. There used to be a lot of it all the way up until a year ago, where it suddenly disappeared. But who cared about anything as long as you had money? That was something Alex found in common with almost all of the people he had consumed from this time. Greed was all they cared about, nothing else mattered to them. They would sell out their own family, children, and friends for the slightest bit of coin. It almost disgusted Alex as much as the real Mercer did.

The Master Thief also came up a lot once again, though Alex still didn't learn much about him. He was the best at what he did and only went after the hardest and richest of challenges, but it was unknown who he worked with, where he stayed, or if he loved anyone. It was just as well, seeing as how many wanted posters were of him and how much money people would give for him, dead or alive. Maybe if Alex consumed a few lower class people, he could learn all of this. There was nothing else for him to do, was there? Except maybe find a place to stay, since the sun was starting to set.

Looking up, he saw a clock tower in the distance. His knowledge told him that the tower was undergoing repairs after a war between the factions, so it would be a perfect place to stay for now. Not wanting to attract attention, Alex walked to the tower and hid in its shadow. Once he was sure no one was watching, he began using his Wall Climbing power. He scaled the tower, switching back to his normal form as he did so until he came across the first window he found, where he entered and turned on his Thermal Vision. To his surprise, he spotted a small bonfire and another warm body, human-shaped, coming down the stairs towards him. With no Infected possible in this time, Alex didn't bother switching to Infected Vision and readied his Shield. He turned off Thermal Vision to get a better look at his enemy and saw mostly darkness, with only a notion of something moving in the shadows.

"Who are you?" asked the human. The shape of a bow moved in the darkness and Alex knew the man (it was a male voice that had spoken) was drawing it, he could hear the bow creaking slightly as it bent.

"Who are you?" Alex shot back. He was tired and, though he didn't show it, nervous.

"Someone you don't want to be on the bad side of." the man said, "Answer my question."

"I'm Alex." Alex decided to be truthful, because he honestly didn't want to cause trouble, "Now answer my question."

"No." There was a small _twang_ and Alex quickly moved to the side, narrowly missing an arrow. It hadn't been sharp, though, mostly a short leather cylinder tied to the end of the stick.

"Impressive." the man commented, nocking another arrow, "But I won't miss a second time."

"I could go all night dodging you, but I don't prefer to. All I want is a place to stay where I don't have to pay."

"Find somewhere else, then."

"No." Alex allowed his eyes to flash red, expression his own irritation at the standoff. The man blinked but did not back down. He was either stupid or not afraid to do it, possibly both.

"...What do you do for a living?"

"What?" The viral monster was caught off guard by this.

"Don't play dumb."

"...I don't do anything. I have nothing to do and no money."

"Alright." The man in the shadows nodded, but kept his eyes on Alex and never lowered the bow, "If you promise not to tell anyone and allow me to keep an eye on you, I can teach you how to survive and you can stay."

"Really now?" Alex raised an eyebrow. He had never imagined this turn of events.

"Yeah. But if you don't..." The bow creaked once again and Alex got the picture.

"I understand. But who are you?"

"You really have no idea who you're talking to, do you?" The man shook his head and stepped into the light of the window. He was wearing dark clothing, a cape, and a scarf was covering most of his face. Despite the fact that the bow was pointed away from Alex, it was still nocked, "I'm Garrett. People call me the Master Thief, but who has time for titles?"

"Not you, apparently." Alex took a step closer, "May I come in?"

"Be my guest." Garrett stepped aside, "Just don't touch anything." Alex nodded and looked around. As he had seen, on the second floor there was a small bonfire going in a cloister, but there was enough light from the rising moon to make out other things. Items were on display, ones Garrett had probably stolen, and there was a table off to the side piled with various arrows. It was most likely where he worked on his equipment. Looking at the workings of the clock, Alex whistled.

"I'd heard this thing was under construction for repairs, but it seems you've got it working all by yourself."

"It's a hobby." Garrett had followed him, "The sounds it makes help me sleep at night, I found." Something suddenly occurred to Alex, causing him to turn to the thief.

"You haven't asked about my clothes. My clothes aren't normal here, you should have asked about them straightaway."

"You have your secrets, I have mine. Besides, if I asked you, I doubted you would answer. Sometimes it helps to wait a while until they speak to you, even if they don't know it. You can get some good information that way." Now that Garrett was out of the shadows, Alex noticed something else. The thief's left eye was brown, but his right had a green iris and pupil, as well as a silver sclera. Also over the right side of his face, directly above his strange eye, was a thin, jagged scar.

"Mechanical eye?" Alex asked. This world was more steampunk than he had thought.

"Yes." Garrett slowly walked around him, "The bed's upstairs. I'm getting out a cot for you. Stay in place and _don't touch anything_." In a sudden swift movement, Garrett was gone. Alex did so, but he turned his head to keep looking. Back to the table, he saw various glowing crystals that were in the middle of being tied to the heads of the arrows. Softly glowing blues, crackling oranges, and hissing greens that gave off small bits of mist. Alex guessed that, as impossible as it seemed, they may have had elemental properties, so they could possibly help Garrett when he went out stealing.

"Done." Alex looked up to see Garrett looking at him over the edge of the banister. Alex went up to the second floor as he was told (implied silently by the thief's glare) and found a small cover and pillow on the floor right beside the bed, which looked just about as comfortable as the floor.

"Get some rest." the thief said, "Tomorrow night I'll be taking you out to see what you can do. I'm also getting you some new clothes so you don't stand out so much."

"That won't be necessary." Alex advised, "I'll make my own clothes tonight."

"With what?" Garrett raised an eyebrow, "There's nothing here for you to work with and I'm taffing sure you can't do anything with the scraps downstairs. I use them to patch my clothing and there's isn't enough for even a shirt."

"You said we both have our secrets." Alex looked down at his clothes, which weren't even real, "I have a way to get my own clothes without leaving here or even using your things." Garrett was silent. Suddenly a flapping sound was heard and a magpie came to the open window. It dropped a small matchbox and flicked it towards them before flying off.

"Looks like I've got work to do." the elder man said (he was older than how Alex appeared, had to be at least in his late 30's to early 40's), going over to pick up the small red box, "Don't do anything that'll get us both killed, kid." Alex smirked.

"Don't worry." his eyes flashed red again, "When you get back, I'll be sound asleep."

* * *

 _ **Well, I have officially entered both of these fandoms. Even though I haven't played either of them or watched many videos of how they're played, I hope I got these two in character. But from what I've read and seen, I've made my own personal headcanons on this: One, Prototype 2 doesn't exist to me; Two, Garrett's circumstances in the Clock Tower from Thief 4 have become part of the epilogue to Thief: Deadly Shadows. What I mean is that Garrett has found the Clock Tower and, since he doesn't have to pay rent, has started staying there. Thief 4 isn't going to happen just yet, either, since this is set 400 years in the past from the reboot. But what happens in this crossover is going to change Thief 4 in ways that are a bit unexpected.**_

 ** _Alex, Garrett, and other characters from the Thiefverse may also seem OOC since I don't know much about either fandom at this time. If I make a mistake, correct me on it (with no flames, please) and I'll fix it. As it is, please read & review! I've got other crossover ideas with Prototype and the Thiefverse in the works, so hope they come out soon!_**


	2. Chapter 2

Blacklight Thief

By: Aubrie1234

* * *

Garrett didn't know what had made him decide to take in the strange man. The guy didn't have proper clothes, had somehow climbed his way up to get in the window (which was nearly impossible unless you knew the secret route), and his eyes had flashed red. Strange things equaled supernatural and Garrett didn't have good experience with the supernatural. He could easily leave the guy while on a mission and watch him get caught by some guards, but if Alex had supernatural powers, it wouldn't be that easy. Garrett was lucky Basso had asked for him so he could get away and think.

As he leapt from one rooftop to another, Garrett thought about how close he and Basso had become since the thief had helped the boxman get out of Cragscleft and freeing Jenivere. Garrett was unsurprised when Basso came back from eloping without Jenivere but was interested when a certain magpie started coming to his window with written matchboxes. The magpie was Basso's and named Jenivere, just like his previous wife (or was it now ex-wife? Basso didn't talk about what happened, so the thief didn't know for sure), and became a carrier of the messages. Basso had also situated his business in the basement of the Crippled Burrick and soon became Garrett's go-to fence. Their new routine had just started up a few weeks ago and so far was pretty successful. Garrett didn't give trust out too easily, but he believed he was starting to trust Basso. Slipping through a window into the Crippled Burrick's basement, he hoped it wouldn't be a mistake.

"You called?" If he wasn't so stoic, Garrett would have smiled behind his scarf as Basso jumped.

"Garrett, don't taffing do that!" Basso said, holding his chest as if he had just had a heart attack (or was about to). Garrett didn't care, though. He loved scaring the boxman almost as much as he loved money.

"You said you had a job for me?" he asked.

"Yeah yeah..." Basso waved him over. Garrett stepped around until he was in front of the boxman, looking over his papers, "Simple job, big rewards. Here's a map of the place you'll be going into." Basso tapped one of the papers, which the thief grabbed.

"A _bank heist_?" Garrett raised an eyebrow, "I'm a thief, but I've never robbed a bank before."

"Well, your client just wants you to steal a necklace from one of the vaults. Not heavily guarded and there aren't many cameras around. The client is willing to pay a lot to get the necklace back, though. Think you can do it?"

"How much is the reward?" Despite the dull voice, Garrett rolled up the map and tucked it into his shirt. Basso smiled, knowing the thief had taken the mission.

"About 2,000 coin."

"That much money for a simple job usually means this won't end well." Garrett commented, but still had the map with him when he was about to leave.

"Oh, and one more thing." Garrett paused at Basso's voice, "You sure you don't want anyone to work with?" The thief turned quickly to give the boxman a deep glare.

"I. Work. Alone." he said with a hint of a growl before leaving. Basso was one of the few who knew about the young girl Garrett had once taken in as an apprentice, but he was also trying to get the thief to try again. Garrett swore not to, not after what happened to the girl. This was another reason why the thief wondered why he decided to give Alex a chance. After this, he should just kick the guy out. Keeping him would only bring bad luck, Garrett was sure. Firm in his new decision, Garrett noted to do it after he finished this new job.

* * *

After Garrett had left, Alex imagined his new outfit and the virus complied. He still looked like Alex Mercer, but the clothes were different, more of this time. He wore a cloth shirt with a hood as well as other cloth and leather clothes, all of them dark in color. He smiled as he took in his new outfit and wanted to try it out a little, but knew Garrett would kill him if he did something he shouldn't. However, whatever the thief didn't know wouldn't kill him, right? Alex was a hypocrite for thinking that, but he still felt it fit in this situation. Suddenly the cacophony of the voices in his head increased, taking one side or another on the matter and causing him a headache.

 _"Stay here and you won't die!"_

 _"I think he should go out and explore. We don't know anything about this place, so why shouldn't we?"_

 _"Didn't you hear Garrett? He'll kill us if we leave!"_

 _"Bah! We can take him down easy if he gets in our way!"_ It went on like this for a while and Alex rubbed his head, frowning at the dull pain the headache caused him.

 _ **"Look,"**_ he spoke to them, ** _"how about I observe from the window, but don't actually leave?"_** Met with murmurs of agreement, the headache went away and Alex did as he promised. From the windowsill where he sat, he could see the stars, shining high above. He didn't think he had ever seen them before, since the nights of NYZ always blocked them out. He allowed the scientists and astronomers in his head to take over and analyze the sky as he thought about his circumstances. For the first time, he felt sadness about being here. How was Dana? Was she okay? Would he ever get to see her again? It was greatly disheartening to think about and some of the voices tried to comfort him.

 _"I'm sure she's okay. She's as tough as you are, ain't she?"_

 _"Of course she is. Mercers are tough and Dana's no different!"_

 _"I hope she gets out of her coma soon..."_

 _"There must be a way we can get home and see her. What about the magic we learned about? Couldn't it get us back home?"_

 _"It could, but it would be tough."_ That was a new voice, probably from one of the people he had consumed from this time, _"If you want more knowledge about magic, then you might need to eat a mage."_

 _"And where, exactly, are we supposed to find a_ mage _?"_ drawled a skeptical scientist.

 _"There was a place called the Mages' Towers, but now that magic is gone, it's been abandoned. There's still a chance to find something there, though."_

 _"Uh huh..."_ The scientist was still disbelieving.

 _"Look pal, it's the best chance we've got to go home. Do you want to be stuck in this place forever?"_

 _"Not particularly, no. Fine, I'll go along, but it doesn't mean I have to like it."_ Alex sighed as he listened to them, to all the people inside of him. The person who was talking about magic had a point, though. If there was a chance that magic was still around, then perhaps there was a way to use it to get back to his own time.

 _ **"** **Hey, guy that was talking about magic. What's your name again?"**_ All had gone quiet in his head when Alex spoke.

 _"...Charles Mistry, sir."_

 _ **"Okay, Charles, do you think Garrett might have an idea about the mechanics of magic in this place? And the reason why I'm asking you instead of the others is because you're the only one from this time that's spoken up. Any one else that knows about magic is welcome to speak up."**_

 _"Well, he's a thief. He could have stolen from the Mages' Towers before and knows about magic from that."_

 _"He could be a mage himself."_ input another.

 _"I think it has something to do with the Keepers."_ said a third. This got Alex's interest.

 _ **"** **What are the Keepers?"**_

 _"They were a faction, sort of like the Hammerites and Pagans, but no one really knows much about them except for that. Garrett probably knows more than we do, he even said that he listens in on others when they don't notice."_

 _"I would say there's something in the books around here, but being the best of the best, I doubt Garrett leaves a trail behind."_

 _"Hmm... You know what?"_ one spoke up, a woman, _"I have an idea on how we can get the 'Master Thief' to trust us."_

 _ **"** **I'm listening..."**_

 _"When you absorb people, like us, you also tend to take in their possessions, right? Money, keys, and the like go into your body, but you don't actually absorb them. What if you went out and sold all of that extra stuff before giving it to the ungrateful guy? After all, this place seems to be run by money and he is no exception."_

 _ **"Good point."**_ Alex stood, **_"I'm going to check out the idea and we should be back before sunrise."_**

 _"And if Garrett finds out we disobeyed him, he won't trust us."_

 _"Here, you can put a price on trust, so I doubt that matters."_ Alex suppressed the voices before leaving the window and going back out into the City.

* * *

Alex made a lot of money off of most of what he had (with the exception of modern money, which didn't get him anything) and got back to the tower shortly before Garrett. He was just about to slip into a hibernation state (he's not human, he doesn't have to sleep. And in the hibernation state, he's aware of everything and can wake up at any time) when Garrett came back.

"You aren't asleep when you said you would be. I don't take that as a good sign." Garrett slowly went over to a table nearby where he kept papers, mostly maps of the places he robbed. He walked with a slight limp, causing Alex to frown.

"You okay?" Alex sat up from the floor, his blanket falling off of him.

"Nasty fall." Garrett supplied, "I'll be fine soon." The thief's eyes ran over Alex, "Looks like you did get some new clothes. Go out and steal them?"

"No, but I got you some loot." Alex nodded to a small sack he had left on the table of maps. Hesitantly, keeping one eye on the other male, he opened it. Most of his hauls got him a fair mix of gold and silver coins, mostly silver, but it seemed Alex had gotten an entire stash of just gold.

"Alright, just _who are you_?" Garrett threw the sack back onto the table, "No one's that good, not even me."

"All I did was sell some of my things to get you some money."

"And _where_ did you get those things?" Alex allow his eyes to flash.

"We both have secrets. Why don't you leave mine alone?"

"Maybe because you're a supernatural being and I don't do well with the supernatural." Garrett growled, then gestured to the window, "And I've backed out on my offer to help you. Get out." Alex stood and his eyes became a permanent red. Garrett drew his bow in response.

"I'm not going anywhere and you shouldn't back out on a deal you made."

"This is my place, I decide what happens."

"Maybe you do, but you can't kick me out. Don't you have a heart?"

"What use is a heart in a place like this?"

"There's plenty of use, even if you can't see it. And you're in no position to kick me out. You're injured and, even if you weren't, I could kick your sorry a** right out of the City if I wanted." Garrett aimed an arrow at Alex's face, this one having a crackling orange crystal at the tip.

"You may have dodged my Blunt arrow before, but I don't think you could do it a second time with a Fire arrow." So that's what it was. Alex was sure he could survive it, but as Garrett didn't like what he called the 'supernatural,' the viral monster couldn't show his hand completely.

"Look," Alex tried to calm himself, "stop being so suspicious of me and give me a chance. With your injury, you'll need my help."

"I don't need anyone. I can take care of myself. Now leave, kid, before I burn you." Seeing no choice except to either consume Garrett for his knowledge or somehow convince him to allow Alex to stay, the younger man walked towards the thief. Garrett loosed the arrow and Alex grabbed it just before it hit him. He dashed forward and grabbed Garrett's injured ankle, squeezing it and making the thief hiss in pain. It was only through his great will that he didn't collapse, since his ankle had been twisted worse than he had said.

"I could have killed you if I wanted." Alex stated, "I could have allowed that arrow to hit me and I still would have come for you. But I'm not here to fight, Garrett, I'm not here to harm anyone." his eyes softened and the red coloring flickered, almost disappearing, "I just want to go home."

"Where? To the Maw?" Garrett's glare was vicious, but it unfazed Alex.

"If you would just let me explain, you would understand." Alex still kept a grip on Garrett's ankle, just in case, as he began, "I come from the future, as much as I can tell. Magic exists here and it can get me home, can't it? Will you help me get home?"

"Like we talked about earlier," Garrett jerked his foot out of Alex's grip, "I don't have a heart."

"I can help you steal and get lots of money."

"You'd just as well slit my throat in my sleep." Alex was tempted to bring out his Claws, but refrained from it for the time being.

"What will it take for you to not slit _my_ throat in my sleep?"

"Leaving." Alex narrowed his eyes.

"I told you, I'm not leaving. I'm going to help you, even if you don't want me to." Alex grabbed Garrett by an arm and lifted the thief off the ground. With it being his bow hand Alex had grabbed, Garrett lashed out with his free one. The blow connected, but Alex ignored it. It hadn't hurt in the slightest. He then took the older man over to the bed and harshly put him down. Alex held out the Fire arrow sideways, giving it back to Garrett. The thief didn't take it, though, giving Alex a deeply suspicious look.

"No matter what you think, I'm going to help you, even if you won't help me." Alex put the arrow on the floor, "Get ready for bed. I'm going to go get something to set your foot and some food." In only a few steps Alex was back out the window and out of sight. Garrett waited a few moments before grabbing the arrow and putting it in his quiver. Much to his irritation, he knew Alex was right. He was in no shape to go out with his twisted ankle, let alone steal food or riches. He would have to rely on Alex, who genuinely seemed like he wanted to help Garrett. But the thief knew better, Alex would turn his back on the older man as soon as he could go home.

But that was also something that interested Garrett. If Alex was from the future, how did he get here? Was there still magic around, even after the thief had activated the Final Glyph? It was the only way Garrett knew of that Alex could have come back from the future. And perhaps...perhaps Alex _wouldn't_ kill him if he helped the kid. He would get a lot of loot in the process and that was (almost) always the thief's main goal. For now he would let Alex help him. But when the time came, he would let the City Guards take care of the younger man. He wasn't a killer, but he worked alone. That didn't change, no matter what.

* * *

 _ **Another chapter! I hope you guys like this! I've had to do quite a bit of research on their separate wikis to help me write this. Again, if you spot something OOC, then tell me and I'll fix it. I got the idea of Alex somehow carrying all the extra stuff in his body with I was readying the PROTOTYPE WMD on TvTropes. It's not actually on there, but it's become a bit of a personal headcanon for me. As it is, please read & review!**_


	3. Chapter 3

Blacklight Thief

By: Aubrie1234

* * *

It didn't take long for Alex to find what he needed (or realize with a sense of embarrassment that most of what he needed he could find in the Clock Tower) and soon he had returned. Garrett was still on the bed, but he hadn't undressed. His quiver and bow were off to the side, though, so at least there wasn't a chance the thief would attack him. Unless he had another weapon, but Alex knew nothing in this time could truly hurt him. They didn't even have guns, bullets, or tanks. How would they be able to take him out if they tried? They _wouldn't_.

"Hold up your foot." Alex spoke, kneeling. Garrett ignored him, causing Alex to roll his eyes and hold up the thief's foot himself.

 _"Stubborn b*st*rd."_

 _"More like ungrateful."_ Alex gently moved the foot back into its natural place. It wasn't broken, only twisted, so it would only need to be held it place and have some elevation to heal. There would also need to be a cold compress, which Alex guessed he could substitute with the Water crystals (the blue arrowheads). And, despite the pain it was probably giving him, Garrett never made a sound. Alex had to admit, the guy had a lot of will to hold up like this. Either that or he was pretty prideful.

The virus slid the boot off as gently as he could and winced at the purple swelling around the thief's ankle. It was going to take quite a while before Garrett was going to be able to get back on his feet, that was for sure. He wrapped the ankle in some cloth (rags, really) before tying a Water crystal (he had gotten it from downstairs on the worktable) to it with rope. Because the crystal wasn't as cold as he would like but wouldn't loose its temperature, Alex estimated that they could be applied for around 20 to 30 minutes instead of the usual 10 to 20. He would also have to take off the crystal for the rest of the hour, then put it back on again. That was the usual treatment for a bad sprain as his knowledge told him.

"Hand me my pillow." Garrett didn't move. Alex growled, allowing his eyes to flash red. They had gone back to normal when he had left, but the thief was running his anger up without trying. Reaching over (which took a bit of effort, having to hold up Garrett's foot and reach for the slightly out-of-reach pillow at the same time), Alex grabbed the ball of fluff and propped it under the smaller man's ankle (Garrett was short for a man, even Alex thought so).

"Because it's a bad sprain, you'll be stuck to bedrest for about 4 to 6 weeks, depending on how it heals."

"4 to 6 _weeks_." Garrett's voice was dull and deadpanning, but had an incredulous air to it.

"Yep. Keep it elevated with something cold and it should heal in no time." Alex stood up, "How did you get so injured? And just how bad was the fall?" Garrett said nothing. Alex expected this and shrugged.

"Fine, be that way. Here are some apples," he picked up a bag he had put on the floor and tossed it to the thief, "and get some sleep. I'll be up again to change the compress soon." Alex laid on the floor and tugged on his blanket before going to 'sleep.' He expected nothing to happen until he woke up, but suddenly his head was lifted and laid onto something soft. Briefly coming out of his hibernation state, Alex opened an eye. His pillow was still under Garrett's foot, but the virus' head wasn't laying on a pillow or the floor. His head was laying on Garrett's folded cape, moved from the human's body to under the younger man's head. Alex was surprised and knew he didn't need it, but was grateful all the same. He gave a smile to the thief's turned back and hibernated again.

* * *

Why had he done that? Why had Alex come back and taken care of him? Why did the kid not leave? Why did he, a heartless taffer, give up his cape so Alex could sleep comfortably? None of it made sense to Garrett as he ate the two apples in the small sack. But at least his foot felt better. Alex knew what he was doing, but having to not steal for _weeks_? Garrett's fingers were twitching just at the thought of it. Thieving was his way of life, soft of a hobby but also a job. Not doing it for weeks like Alex implied made him feel miserable. The fact that he would also have to rely on the kid for most things made him angry. He could take care of himself, even if he had a broken bone or two, but somehow a sprain set him back more than any bone could. But he did acknowledge that, if he had broken his ankle, it would probably be just as bad, if not worse.

His feet were vital to his job. Without them, he couldn't run, couldn't sneak... It was be clumsy and awful to do it all on your hands, especially if you used said hands to pick locks and steal things off of moving people. It would be impossible to do all that a thief could do with just your hands. He could only hope his ankle healed faster than 4 weeks so he could get back to his job, his hobby, his lifestyle. But until then, he knew he would have to rely on Alex to keep the money coming in.

And speaking of money, he wondered how the younger man had managed to get so much gold all at once. He should have gotten at least _some_ silver, but there had been nothing but gold in the pouch. What had the kid sold to get so much gold? A guard's sword? A rare metal? There were many possibilities. And as Garrett looked over his shoulder at the sleeping man, he wondered what else Alex could do. He had immense strength and wasn't even fazed by Garrett's punch to the throat. He was also fast, having been able to dodge a Blunt arrow and grab a Fire arrow out of the air. And the red eyes, they indicated Alex was hiding something darker than Garrett could see. The thief hadn't been unnerved for a while, not since Shalebridge (he winced at even the _thought_ of the Place-That-Must-Not-Be-Named), though he was nowhere near as unnerved as he had been then. Yet Alex still unnerved him.

He was still awake when Alex woke up and changed his 'compress,' as the younger man had called it. Garrett stayed awake through the whole day, too wired over his contempations over Alex to sleep (he also changed his clothes to feel more comfortable), and was still awake when the moon rose in the sky to signal the night to come.

"Haven't slept a wink, have you?" Alex asked as he put the compress on.

"No." Garrett admitted, then turned to the other man, "Since you're going to take care of me, I guess I could teach you the ropes. Go get some more food and we'll start in here." Alex gave a nod and left the thief alone once again. Jenivere also came in with her usual matchbox, tilting her head when she saw Garrett in bed.

"Hey girl." he spoke softly, "Do you mind bringing that over here?" Jenivere ruffled her feathers slightly, but complied, dropping the box on his chest before resting on the headboard above. Garrett turned the matchbox over to see the tiny scrawled message.

 _'Heard you had a fall during the heist. You up for some more tonight? -B'_

"Send this back." he held the matchbox to her, "He'll get the message." Jenivere gave a soft caw and took the box in her talons before flying off. Garrett hoped Basso would understand, at least. Not too long after the magpie left, Alex came back in. A large bag was slung over his shoulder and the thief raised an eyebrow.

"I got enough for us to last a few days." Alex gently put the bag on the floor, "What's my first lesson?"

* * *

Fighting the military and Infected, disguising yourself, and walking around like a normal person/not attracting attention were Alex's main guidelines to sneaking. He didn't realize how tough Garrett's were, but he quickly learned. He had to adapt to stay on top, after all, though what the thief had him go through was mostly made up of repetition and patience, such as trying to sneak up on Garret from behind without being heard or seen. Alex was not known as a patient man, however.

"Enough." Garrett sighed, rubbing his forehead in irritation. Alex was doing better from when he had started a week ago, but he was never patient enough. He continued to move too fast and made noise because of it, causing the Master Thief to hear him and failing the exercise each time. But other than that, Alex had done very well.

"If you can remember what I taught you, I think you might be ready for your first heist." Garrett adjusted his sitting position, "You just have to keep quiet and stay patient." He winced as his foot moved a little, but it wasn't as bad as it was a week ago. That was good, he was getting better and would probably be able to stand soon.

"I can do that." Alex crossed his arms, "Your hearing is just too good."

"It has to be if I don't want to get caught." the thief said, "Now go to the Crippled Burrick and see Basso. You'll have to mention my name to get to him, but he should be able to get you on your first mission."

"Got it. Need anything while I'm out?"

"Just the money you get."

"Will do." Alex smiled, "Just keep your part of the deal."

"We'll see." He watched Alex leave, and once the younger man was out of sight, Garrett slipped a paper out from under his pillow. He had asked Basso to send him the map of the place Alex was going to rob. It had been orchestrated between the two thanks to the help of Jenivere and Garrett had taken the map to see who well Alex could do without it. It could have been a stupid choice, but Garrett felt that Alex's supernatural abilities would have covered that.

* * *

Alex walked down the street in his normal form, following the signs that led to the tavern. He had heard of the Crippled Burrick several times, but had never been there. At least he now knew of someone Garrett trusted (somewhat) and where he got some of his jobs. Perhaps the virus could not only learn more about Garrett from Basso but also more about magic, since the thief hadn't divulged anything when Alex had asked.

Spotting the building, Alex quickly went inside. A bell rung above the door as it was pushed and attention was attracted to him. Alex willed himself to keep his eyes from going red and went over to the counter. There was a bartender there and other people were around, trying to get themselves drunk, including a few guards. Alex raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment on it.

"Here for a drink?" asked the burly man at the counter.

"Sort of. Do you have something called a Basso?" Alex kept his voice low to make sure he wasn't overheard. The other man blinked, glanced around with his eyes, then nodded.

"Go around back. I'm sure you can find a barrel or two back there." Alex was curious, but did as he was told. He left the tavern through the front, unafraid of what awaited him. In the back, there was another door with a small window at the top. He knocked and a plank that had been blocking it slid back, revealing a pair of eyes.

"The bartender said I could find a few barrels of Basso back here."

"Come in." The plank closed back and the door opened. Alex was allowed inside and found that the back was much different that the front. He was directed downstairs past the revelry of drunk thieves and crooks to the basement.

"Hey there." Basso greeted, Jenivere on her perch, "I've never seen you around before. You wanted to see me?"

"Sort of. Garrett sent me."

"So you're the 'new apprentice.'" Basso gave a chuckle, "I never thought he'd take someone in, not after what happened."

"What do you mean?"

"It's nothing. Here's what you need to do." Alex went over and took the offered paper, "Usually you would be given a map to get around, but I wasn't able to get one."

"'Steal the Whitechapel Diamond.' Where can I find it?"

 _"Oh, don't tell me..."_ Charles Mistry groaned. Alex didn't get why the man sounded like that until Basso answered.

"A noble, Charles Mistry, bought it a while back and has it in a safe somewhere in his house. He hasn't been back for a few days and is assumed dead or disappeared, so this would be the perfect time to go grab it."

"Alright... I'll be back soon." Alex slipped the paper into a pocket and left.

 _"What were the chances?"_

 _"One in how many there are in the City, which I assume is around 75,000 or more."_

 _"You're not helping."_

 _ **"** **Charles?"**_ Alex asked as he left the tavern, **_"Are you willing to go along with this?"_** The man sighed.

 _"I had no family left and lived alone with the exception of housekeepers, so stealing from me... I don't care, truly."_ he shrugged, _"It would have happened anyway or it would have been auctioned. If you need my help at all, I'm willing."_

 _"Then I guess it's time we prove to Garrett what we can do."_

 _"I hope he doesn't get into trouble..."_

 _"How can he with a sprained ankle? He can't even stand!"_

 _"He's a thief, a shadow man. He can do anything he wants."_

 _ **"** **Enough. Charles, where can I find your house?"**_

 _"In Auldale, on the other side of the river. It's to the East."_ Alex gathered biomass into his legs and released it as he jumped, allowing him to reach the roofs. To keep from making too much noise, he used his Glide ability to land softly. It was now time to see if he could steal the Whitechapel Diamond with Garrett's training, along with his own abilities. And, as he looked over his checklist he had been given, he noted to talk to Basso about Garrett upon his return. There were a lot of things he wanted to learn about the thief to get to know him better and earn his trust. It may be the only way he would be able to get home.

* * *

 _ **As a note, I don't like cursing, so I sort of cover it up in my stories when I do. So sorry if you guys don't like that, but it's something I do. I like how the Thiefverse uses 'taffer' instead of cursing, so I won't cover that up, but since Alex (and most of the voices of the people he's eaten) isn't from there, you'll get some of his bleeped-out curses as well. As usual, if I made a mistake or made them too OOC, tell me and I'll fix it. Now, please read & review!**_


	4. Chapter 4

Blacklight Thief

By: Aubrie1234

* * *

Alex ran across the rooftops and when he came to the river, he Glided across. He was almost to Mistry's house when he thought of something. Didn't thieves usually have some lockpicks? Garrett didn't give him any to use or let him even practice with some (he claimed that he couldn't risk using his own to teach Alex and he didn't have another pair), so if the virus came across a locked door, he would have few other options. He could knock down the door (that was a last resort, he didn't want to cause too much noise in case someone was in the house) or he could try something he'd been curious about. In his time, there were electronic locks all over the place, so he couldn't try out what he wanted. But here, with normal locks, he could try using his biomass to either lockpick or create a duplicate of the key. He'd never done it before, but this could be the best time to try it.

 _"There it is, the one with the wind vane."_ Charles said. Alex followed his directions to see the rooster-shaped vane, which was only a few roofs over.

 _ **"** **Do I need a special way inside?"**_ Alex asked him as the viral monster landed on the roof, almost on top of the wind vane.

 _"No, but do be careful. I had several traps for thieves if they ever came around and some of the housekeepers might still be here."_

 _ **"** **Got it."**_ Alex knelt over the side of the building, looking around for a window. He quickly found one, but it was shut tight. He turned his fingers into tendrils that slipped under the rim of the window, allowing him to pull it open. Once it was big enough, Alex slipped inside and closed it behind him, returning his fingers back to normal. Recalling what Garrett had taught him, he kept low, stuck to the shadows, and snuffed out any candles he could see. There were lamps on everywhere, though, and the floor was stone with a thin carpet down the middle, making it hard for him not to be seen or heard. And, despite his greater hearing, he almost didn't catch the sound of the maid coming down a hall to his right. He saw her shadow, though, and managed to slip into another room, out of sight.

 _"We're here."_ Alex stood up after closing the door silently. He was now in a study with a small lamp on the desk and a large picture behind it. There was also a bookcase to the side.

 _ **"** **Any traps?"**_ Alex let his eyes wander over the room. He knew Garrett had to steal a lot of other things while on jobs to get as much loot as he did, so the virus was looking for shiny things to steal.

 _"The desk drawers and the picture. There's nothing behind it, but thieves tend to go for it, so it always gave me a good laugh when they set off that alarm."_ Charles chuckled, _"Anyway, there's a button under the desk where you can disable the alarms and the safe with the diamond is behind the bookcase. You need to find a certain switch on the bookcase to get to it, though."_

 _ **"** **No problem."**_ Alex went behind the desk and pushed the button, as Charles had indicated, then began searching the drawers. He found several piles of coins, a letter opener, and a pen. It wouldn't get him much, but it was good. He then went over to the bookcase and snagged a picture frame, but not before taking out the picture and leaving it behind. Any normal thief would have taken the picture as well as the frame, but Alex wasn't like that. He hadn't been raised to be a thief, he had only started acting like one not too long ago.

 _"You didn't have to leave it behind."_

 _ **"No, but I wanted to. It's something that belonged to you and I've already taken your life. I have no need to take your pictures too, but anything I can sell is fair game."**_

 _"Well, thank you."_ Alex mentally nodded to the man before moving his hands along the books, pushing each against the back of the shelf to see if they would budge. When he found one that didn't move, he pulled it forward as far as it would go, then pushed it in. There was a click and the bookcase slid aside to reveal a safe with three key locks.

 _"Wow. You were_ really _prepared for a robbery, weren't you?"_

 _"I suppose. I had nothing better to do in most of my time."_

 _"Yeesh. With people like you around, how can anyone be a thief?"_

 _"Who knows?"_ Alex traced the first keyhole with his forefinger before allowing it to become tendrils and go inside the hole. He felt around it and, once he was sure of the shape, formed a key duplicate. The black and red key fit perfectly as Alex slid it out to examine it, then put it back in and turned. The first lock clicked satisfyingly, so Alex tried the key on the next hole. However, it didn't fit.

 _"Yes, I use 3 different keys to make sure no one can get in it."_

 _"Paranoid much?"_ Alex started the process over again, but it was quicker now that he knew it worked. Soon the other 2 locks were open. Before he opened the safe, though, Alex noticed something around the locks.

 _ **"Did your hand ever shake when you put in the keys?"**_

 _"No, why?"_ With a sense of dread, Alex opened the safe to find it completely empty.

 _ **"** **Either you misplaced the diamond or someone got here first."**_ Suddenly a sound rang through the house and Alex's eyes widened.

 _"Did I forget to mention there was a 5-second timer as well that activates as soon as you open the safe?"_

 _"You are WAY too over-prepared for thieves!"_ Alex ignored the arguments in his head as he dashed out of the room. He ran down the hall and cloaked himself in his Armor in case he happened across anyone. Luckily he didn't and he opened and closed the window quickly. He ran across the rooftops again and it wasn't until he was in the South Quarter before his Armor went away and he slowed down.

 _ **"Haven't had to rush like that for a while. Now, any idea of who could have stolen it?"**_

 _"I haven't the faintest."_

 _"Maybe you should go ask Basso, see if he gave you false information."_

 _ **"Alright."**_ Alex climbed down from the rooftops and began his journey back to the Crippled Burrick.

* * *

"Back so soon?" the fence asked when Alex came in. He flinched as he saw the vicious glare he was getting.

"Did you know the Whitechapel Diamond was stolen before I got there?" Alex growled. At that, Basso raised an eyebrow.

"Really? I got the info in today about it, so maybe another thief stole it."

"So you aren't the only one who sends thieves out like this?"

"It's called being a fence, kid, and no way am I the only one. There are plenty of thieves out there who need good fences and I can't keep up with all of them. I'm the main fence for those in South Quarter, though, so all the other fences in this part of the City have to make sure their jobs aren't the same as mine when we get some."

"So a fence from another part of the City, like Auldale, could have sent someone else to get the diamond?"

"It's possible. Can't tell you their names for certain reasons, but I can ask them about it." Alex nodded and crossed his arms.

"One more thing. How much do you know about Garrett?"

"Hold it, kid." Basso held up a hand, "I don't give out that kind of information to anyone."

"I just want to know a few things, nothing much. Did he ever go to a place called the Mages' Towers?"

"Yeah, but-"

"Do you know why Garrett doesn't like me?"

"Now that's a bit personal-"

"But you know." Basso sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"Yes, I taffing do, but I can't just go out and give you the whole story. If you want to know more about Garrett, you should just go ask him."

"I tried. He won't answer me. All I want to do is earn his trust so he can help me."

"With what?"

"Going home." Alex said simply, "Now will you tell me or not?"

"Okay, fine. Long before you came, around a year ago, Garrett had gotten an apprentice, named Janet. Sweet girl, had similar beginnings to him, so Garrett took her in and trained her. But it wasn't long after that, during a heist, she got caught. She could still be in prison or she could have been hanged. I don't know and neither does Garrett, but that's why he hates you."

"He doesn't want me to get caught?"

"He thinks that if he trains someone again, he'll lose them a second time. He has no friends, kid, and barely trusts anyone, even me. If you can somehow get on his good side, then I'll be impressed."

"I see... What do you know about magic?" Basso looked incredulous at that.

"No way, I'm not helping you put a spell on Garrett if that's what you're thinking!" Alex rolled his eyes.

"Of course not. I just want to know, since Garrett won't tell me. _Again_."

"That's something only he can answer. He doesn't tell me everything, you know, and he knows a lot more about magic than I do and he's dealt with it more than I have."

"Thanks for the information anyway." Alex sighed.

"No problem. Sorry I can't pay you."

"It's fine." The virus waved it off as he left the basement. Basso shook his head, wondering why Alex would want to know any of that. He had said he wanted to know so he could earn Garrett's trust, but the boxman doubted that was the only reason.

* * *

 _He was back at Soulforge, but instead of having to run away, he was held by Mechanist guards as Karras killed Viktoria. Yet she couldn't die, she kept coming back, and no matter how much he begged, he couldn't stop the torture Karras was putting him through._

 _"Stop it!" he pleaded, "Leave her be, please!"_

 _"Karras doesn't think so, Garrett." Viktoria screamed as Karras cut off one of her arms, yet it quickly grew back. He struggled to help her, to free her, but the Mechanists were holding him too tightly._

 _"Take me instead! She doesn't deserve this!"_

 _"Of course she does! She's a Pagan!" He closed his eyes and tears came forth, unable to watch as Viktoria was hurt again and again._

 _ **"Garrett..."** He ignored the soft voice from nowhere, too much in anguish to acknowledge it, **"Garrett. Garrett!"** The voice was familiar somehow, but he couldn't place wh- **"GARRETT!"**_

* * *

He jolted up in bed, eyes wide and glancing around as he scrambled for his blackjack. His searching hand's wrist was grabbed, so he tore at whatever held it with his free one. His free hand met hard substance, hurting it before it was also grabbed. Both hands were held in a gentle yet firm grip, but with the aftershock of the nightmare still on his mind, he continued to fight.

"Garrett, it's okay!" It was the strange voice from his dreams, "Garrett, calm down!" He finally took a glance at his attacker, which was Alex. At that, he slowly began to calm.

"Alex?"

"It's okay." said the younger man, "You were having a bad dream."

"Bad...dream?" Flashes of his dream came back to Garrett, "It was bad, it really was."

"Mind telling me about it?" Alex let go of his wrists.

"No." Garrett shook his head and, as adrenaline died down, he quickly felt the throbbing pain of his ankle.

"Looks like you really disturbed it in your nightmare." Alex spoke, examining it, "This might have to push your recovery back a few days, possibly weeks."

"What about the heist?" Garrett didn't want to hear how much longer he would have to be in recovery.

"Someone stole the Whitechapel Diamond before I could. Basso hasn't given the job to anyone else, either, so it might have come from another fence in the City."

"Possible, but with how many traps were in that place, it's a thief's nightmare."

"I only encountered a few." Alex looked sheepished, "I set one off." Garrett facepalmed.

"Don't tell me you were seen!"

"There weren't any cameras and I made sure no one saw me." Alex made sure he hadn't been identified with his armor. Garrett sighed.

"At least you weren't caught. Go get some more food and we'll start training again until we can get another job."

"Sure, but who do you think stole the diamond?"

"A very good thief, especially if he did some preparation beforehand, and there aren't that many. You can count them on a single hand and I'm one of them."

"Wait, you usually prepare to steal things?" Alex narrowed his eyes, "Why send me off like I was, then?"

"Test." Garrett took out the map and handed it to Alex, "You should also get a map of the place before going in."

 _"Why that no good, yellow-bellied-!"_

 _"Calm down! I have to agree, though, that was a nasty trick to pull for a test."_

 _"He's probably got some other tricks waiting."_

"Why didn't you properly prepare me?"

"Thieves aren't always prepared, so I wanted to see if you would be able to take care of yourself." Garrett nodded, "You did good, kid. You set off an alarm, but you weren't caught. After a little more training, you might get onto my level, though that's still a bit out of reach."

"Thanks." Alex wasn't used to praise, but he certainly liked the feeling it gave him, the warmness and the will to do better. He then turned to the window, "I'll be going. Don't worry about the compress, I'll put it on once I get back." Garrett could only nod and, with a yawn, curled into his bed. Alex smiled and tucked the covers around him before leaving. He knew nightmares well and knew that the thief had had a terrifying one, so it was best to let him sleep.

* * *

 _ **It took a bit of research for this one, so I hope you like it. And Karras has that Droopy-like voice, doesn't he? *giggles* Makes me laugh just thinking about it. Janet is the name I gave to the girl that appeared at the end of Deadly Shadows, but I'm not sure if she's going to reappear or not. Anyway, if I made a mistake, tell me and I'll fix it. If the characters are too OOC, I'll fix it. But please read & review!**_


	5. Chapter 5

Blacklight Thief

By: Aubrie1234

* * *

Daylight dawned and Stonemarket came alive, shops being set up in the square around the Clock Tower. Despite his new job as a thief, Alex liked coming out to the City during the day. He walked around and watched as stalls were set up for the day, knowing they would be taken down as soon as the sun set. It was also rare for thieves to appear during the day, so many of them felt safe as they sold their wares, but still cautious. You didn't have to be a professional to steal something in broad daylight and get away with it.

"'Morning." Alex greeted as he came over to a fruit stall.

"'Morning." greeted the seller back, a short stocky woman.

"How much for a dozen?"

"Each apple is 17 silver." Having to buy food a few times before from the square, Alex was getting used to the currency and brought out 12 gold.

"Here." he handed them over before grabbing a dozen to put in the sack he had brought with him, "Have a nice day."

"You too!" Alex waved back as he left.

 _"Can you believe that they go by Potter currency here? It's so cool!"_

 _"Should be to you, Potter freak."_

 _ **"Knock it off."**_ Alex glanced around at the other stalls, **_"Garrett will have enough for 12 days, 24 if he splits them, and all of this is only if he eats one a day. But..."_**

 _"You want to get more food for him?"_ Alex nodded.

 _ **"I was thinking of fixing him some sort of dinner/breakfast. Do you have any ideas for a good salad or something?"**_

 _"Hmm..."_

 _"I don't know of a salad, exactly, but I know of a few good recipes with meat."_

 _"Problem with that is it'll spoil."_

 _"Good point."_

 _ **"That can still work, if just for one night, sort of like a treat."**_ Alex smiled outwardly, an idea forming, **_"What sort of spices do I need?"_**

* * *

Alex was quiet as he worked, letting Garrett sleep after changing the compress. And while he worked, Alex went back to his thoughts from that dawn, when he had tucked the thief in. When he had mentioned to himself that he had nightmares, he wondered if they could actually be considered that way. It wasn't in the sleeping sense, as he didn't truly sleep, but sometimes the voices in his head overwhelmed him. Yet, over the past week or so, they had been quiet and helpful, possibly just about as much in shock as he was about their situation. And thinking about what was going on around him saddened him, as it reminded him he wasn't by his sister's side while she was practically dead to the world. Alex would have to be more assertive and make Garrett tell him about magic if he was to get home, as his more gentle attempts haven't worked.

And yet, he wondered if he had any right to push Garrett into helping him. Alex had come here out of nowhere and met the thief by accident, getting involved by treating Garrett's ankle. He was helping the Master Thief keep up with competitors by stealing for him, but did that mean Garrett had to pay him back? Garrett could chose not to and leave Alex out in the cold once he was better, but then again the thief could want to repay his debts so he wouldn't be dragged down. To Alex, it could go either way. Garrett was enigmatic and, despite all the psychologists and other people in his head, the thief was unlike anyone Alex had come across before and the virus couldn't identify him properly. But hopefully Alex would get to know him better and Garrett would help the younger man. Alex was an atheist but that didn't mean he couldn't hope for things, though he rarely did.

* * *

Garrett had been so tired he didn't have any dreams, but when he woke up, he was assaulted by the smell of something good. It was the smell of spiced cooked meat, something Garrett rarely had anymore because it spoiled so easily. He sat up and bed and turned his head when he heard the stairs creak. Alex was coming down with a plate of whatever smelled so good and the thief could feel his mouth watering.

 _Stop it._ he told himself, _You're becoming too dependent on the kid._

"Here." Alex handed him the warm plate, "Pork chops. Thought you might like some while recovering. They might help you get better faster, too."

"What about you?" Garrett suddenly realized that, while Alex had gotten plenty of things to eat, the younger man had never eaten anything himself in the thief's sight.

"Ate something earlier." Alex sat on the end of the bed, careful to avoid the thief's feet, and instantly Garrett was on the defensive. Alex had never sat on his bed before and he took this as a bad sign.

"What do you want?"

"Eat first." Alex gestured to the food, "I'll ask once you're done."

"What if it's been poisoned?"

"Really? You think I would do that?"

"We may have lived together for a while, but we don't know a thing about each other. I don't know if you'd kill me or not, so I have the right to ask questions."

"...Fair enough. But I promise the food is safe."

"Eat a piece and show me."

"Alright." Alex cut off a small piece and popped it in his mouth. He hadn't poisoned the food and even if he had, his body wouldn't be affected. After all, he had no stomach, no digestive system. There was no way a poison could affect him unless it was specific to Blacklight. He would also have to expel the dead matter later, as there was no way he could absorb it.

"See?" Alex stood and walked around, "Nothing bad about it. Now eat so I can ask you."

"Why don't you just ask me now?"

"You might lose your appetite and I don't want that to happen since you look so hungry right now." Garrett spoke not more, but he did eat the chops. Once he was finished, Alex sat on the bed again.

"How much do you know about magic?"

"Enough to know it's not a good thing."

"Have you been to the Mages' Towers?" Like the first time he had asked (which had been during training), Garrett didn't answer him. Alex sighed, "If you want to get rid of me so badly, help me get home by answering my questions."

"...I was there."

"Do you know if there's anything there I could use to help me learn more about magic?"

"You won't find anything." Garrett scoffed, "Magic is dead now."

"What do you mean?"

"I had no choice but to kill off all magic after a certain event a while back."

"So, it doesn't exist anymore?" Alex felt saddened and angry at this news.

"It _does_ exist, but no one can use it."

"And the Keepers?" Suddenly the viral monster was the focus of a sharp gaze.

"...Where did you hear of them?"

"I've heard a few things in town, but only they were a faction like the Hammerites and Pagans."

"They weren't a _faction_." the thief snorted, "They tried to stay out of things, but then their prophecies came back to bite them in the taffing butt."

"You seem to know a lot about them. Could they help me get home?"

"Nope. They can't help anyone now, as if they ever did." Garrett's eyes took on a faraway look, as if he was remembering something, "They watched everything from the shadows and wrote prophecies about what was to come. But then, when it came for them to come down, they did everything they could to survive. I just wonder if what I did was the right thing to do."

"What did you do?" Garrett blinked and his eyes came back into focus. He sighed and turned away.

"It's nothing. Start trying to sneak up on me again, you need to work on that." Alex was silent for a second, observing the thief before he got up and walked to the other side of the room. Garrett had every right to hide his own secrets, but it seemed the Master Thief had a deeper connection to the Keepers than he would like to admit. Alex made plans for when he would go out next, not only to consume to bring up his energy but also to check out the Mages' Towers. There might not be usable magic around, but that didn't mean he couldn't try to figure out the history of the City or who the Keepers were. The Mages' Towers were his best bet right now.

* * *

The thief didn't like how interested Alex was in magic, though he did admit it may have been the only way the younger man could get home. And if Alex was allowed to be curious, then Garrett didn't see any reason why he couldn't ask about the other man's past.

"You asked about me, about the Keepers and magic, so can I ask you something?" Garrett asked in between exercises.

"Sure." Alex nodded and didn't look out of breath in the slightest.

"You said you were from the future. What's it like?"

"Hmm..." Alex closed his eyes briefly, "I'm not quite sure how to explain it. It has elements from this place, like the cameras and the lamps, but it's also much more advanced. The two- and three-story buildings here are nothing compared to the 50-floor skyscrapers of my time. With each floor 10 feet tall, that's about 500 feet into the air. And we don't build it with magic, we build it with glass and steel and concrete, which is much stronger than stone or bricks or wood." Garrett found such a thing hard to imagine, as it would make stealing impossible for him in his usual ways.

"I bet the Hammers would have a field day in your time, if they were still around." Garrett shifted, readjusting his position as his ankle began to ache, "They, the Pagans, and the Keepers were pretty much destroyed after I got rid of the magic. The Pagans and Keepers were outted pretty quick, but the Hammers lasted a small while until they left too. Now a lot of people have no religion to look to or, in the case of the Keepers, try to use their skills to get by. The Keepers don't exist anymore and neither do their prophecies, so they try to get by just like I do."

"I see." Alex said, "Well, we also have different transportation. Instead of horses, we have metal wagons called cars that move of their own power. We also don't need to sail, we can cut the time by using fans to push boats. We've even conquered the sky with giant metal birds called airplanes, which can cross the world in a matter of _hours_." he went up the stairs and looked out the window, "We also have better medical supplies, there aren't as many people sick and they can be treated well. Some diseases have even been wiped out completely. And yet my time isn't any different than your's in some ways. We still have poverty in places, a dictator-like government, starvation, horrible crime. People try to stop it all, to help others, but sometimes I wonder if they ever make a difference, even if it's tiny."

"And you said I have a heart." Garrett quipped, his mind struggling to wrap around what the other male was telling him. Alex's lips twitched, as if he had tried to smile but couldn't.

"I'm a hypocrite, but not in the sense you might think." the younger man went back downstairs, "But that's what my time is like. We're advanced, but complete a**holes to one another. I'm no exception."

"You haven't been mean to me, though." the thief pointed out, "Why have you tried to help me?"

"Because I want to change, to become a better person?" Alex shrugged, "I honestly don't know why I've been helping you except for some help to get home. I could have tried to find my own way, but I've helped you. All from a chance meeting because I needed a place to stay and because you injured yourself."

"You could have left me to die."

"But I didn't. I may have done some horrible things, but I think I want to change that." Alex suddenly gave a smirk, "Now let's up the exercises. Shoot at me with your arrows and I'll practice dodging." Garrett raised an eyebrow.

"...Fair enough, I suppose." The bow and quiver were still in the place he had dropped them when Alex had first treated his ankle. He picked them up and took out a Broadhead arrow. He didn't use any of his trick arrows (Gas, Fire, etc.) because he didn't want to waste them. Besides, the Broadheads could be easily retrieved. And from Alex's dodging abilities, the thief was pretty certain the younger man would be fine.

* * *

When he was sure Garrett was asleep as morning dawned again, Alex felt tempted to consume the thief. It would save him from pain and make Alex's job easily, but somehow, the viral monster was unable to do it. He was so used to killing and it was so natural to him now, yet he couldn't do it. As he gently touched Garrett's head, careful not to wake the shorter man, Alex wondered if he had grown as affectionate to him as the virus had done to Dana. It had to be impossible, but then why wasn't he consuming Garrett right now?

"Sweet dreams." Alex whispered to himself before leaving. Perhaps he wasn't so heartless as he thought he was. Maybe he was trying to change, even if he didn't notice. And he thinks he likes said changes.

* * *

 ** _Don't worry, this isn't going to be restricted to Alex being trained with missions in between. Some Prototype elements are going to come into play soon and Garrett's ankle is going to be healed in a few chapters, possibly the next one if the story takes me that way. And also, doesn't Alex's powers (shapeshirting and consuming, mainly) remind you of a certain Thief bad guy? The Hag, perhaps? And when Garrett finds out, he's not gonna like it._**

 ** _I also put in the Harry Potter currency as a little joke, but it might become a big part of the story. We'll see. So, please read & review!_**


	6. Chapter 6

Blacklight Thief

By: Aubrie1234

* * *

As Alex ran over the rooftops after his second heist, he felt good. He had just stolen from the Mages' Towers and, though it was abandoned, he had found something that he thought would help him. It was a book over the history of magic and how to utilize it, and since Alex wasn't from this time, he hoped he would be able to use it. But he was a sentient virus, so would it work?

He slowed at a corner and looked down. Though it was broad daylight, no one ever thought to look up. It played to his advantage quite a bit despite how impractical it seemed. On the ground, having been discarded, Alex spotted a newspaper. Summoning his Whipfist, he shot it down and pierced the paper and reeled it back up. This all happened in a matter of seconds, so no one noticed the strange tentacle that came out of nowhere. In no hurry to get home, Alex sat down to read it. He found that the papers helped him learn more about the City when the Master Thief didn't, so he grabbed them whenever he could.

He frowned as he read the headline: 'SICKNESS IN THE STREETS: Unknown Illness Confines People To Their Homes. Can It Be Cured?' He continued to read the article and, with a sick feeling, he recognized the symptoms. They were infected with a strain of his virus, which he had probably accidentally passed around. As he had never truly passed it around before, he didn't know what it would result in. Greene's virus had been passed around before, but never his. With Garrett out of commission for who knows how long, Alex grew afraid for the other man's (could he now be considered a friend?) safety. He had to get home and just hope for the best until something happened. Then he would make his move depending on if it was a threat or not.

After reading this, Alex headed straight home, not even stopping to consume to keep up his energy. He could feed later, it wasn't like he was on the verge of hunger pains or anything. And he had to keep an eye out for Garrett until he got better, the shorter man was practically defenseless right now. The thief may have still head his weapons, but they would be useless against Hunters and Infected. Guns and Tanks barely handled the beasts, so what use would be swords and arrows?

* * *

 _He listened to the safe's small sounds to make sure he was doing the combination correctly. He had infiltrated a wealthy mansion with a heavy guard presence, but had slipped past them. All that was left was to get what he came for, what was inside the safe._

 _"So you steal in your dreams too?" Garrett froze, nervous that someone had spotted him, then grabbed his blackjack and quickly turned around. He expected to see a guard or a noble, but he saw neither. He only saw someone he hadn't seen in a while, that should have been dead._

 _"Artemus?" the Master Thief blinked in disbelief, lowering his weapon._

 _"Hello, Garrett." the dead Keeper was standing in the open doorway to the room, "You don't mind leaving your dream for a second to talk, do you?"_

 _"If it's to talk to you, I don't know." Yet he still stood, tucking his blackjack away and following his mentor through the door. Instead of stepping into the hallway of the mansion, he found himself in a large, blank white space with the exception of himself, Artemus, and one other dead person: Viktoria in her human form._

 _"What are you both doing here?" Garrett asked. He wasn't sure if this was a part of his dream or something weird that shouldn't be happening._

 _"We came to talk." Viktoria said, "I noticed your nightmare of me the other night. Is that truly how you felt about me?" Garrett crossed his arms as his eyes narrowed._

 _"You shouldn't be invading my dreams. Really, tell me why I should stay here and talk with the two of you."_

 _"Because you miss us." Artemis spoke, "You need someone to talk to whom you can trust."_

 _"I certainly can't trust you." Garrett spoke to Viktoria._

 _"But what can I do?" she shrugged, "I'm dead, I can't do anything anymore. What use would lying be to me now?" she gave him a smile, "And I think you made a good choice, Thief."_

 _"A 'good choice' in what?"_

 _"Allowing Alex to stay." Artemus answered, "Your heart is in the right place, though you usually choose not to listen to it." Garrett was tempted to snort, but kept it in._

 _"But why are you both here? You can't just be here to talk, you would have done that when..." Garrett felt a lump in his throat and swallowed past it, "When you died."_

 _"I had no reason to, neither did Artemus. However, we came this time because of Alex." Viktoria spoke, "Changes are going to come to the City, Thief. Most, if not all, will be caused by Alex by accident. We thought we should warn you of your impending doom."_

 _"We don't know if it will end badly, but we know it's coming." Artemus added, "Take care of yourself, Garrett, but don't push him away. It's not his fault that this is happening."_

 _"I knew it was bad luck to help him." Garrett muttered under his breath, but nodded. He trusted Artemus, so if the Keeper told him something, the thief would follow while twisting a few details._

 _"Goodbye, my Good Thief."_

 _"Good luck, Garrett." And then he was back in the mansion, right in front of the safe. He blinked and looked around, but Artemus and Viktoria were nowhere to be seen. He was tempted to write off the experience as nothing major, but couldn't deny he hadn't felt their presence._

 _"Hope I remember this when I wake up..." Garrett then went back to trying to open the safe._

* * *

Alex read the book the rest of the day, not bothered when the sun went down and there was less light. He snapped it shut when he saw Garrett waking up.

"Taffing guards..." the thief muttered, rubbing his head in tiredness.

"Dream?"

"Yeah." Garrett nodded, "Just about to get away when they sent an arrow at my face. Then I woke up."

"So you steal as much in your dreams as you do to regular people."

"Most of the time. Then I get a weird dream like that one out of nowhere, but it never stays long."

"How was it weird?" Garrett tried to remember, though it was quickly slipping through his fingers.

"Some old friends came to visit me while on the heist. Can't really remember what they said, but it was important."

"I'm sure it's nothing." Alex checked the thief's ankle, "You're doing a lot better. Maybe we can start some ankle exercises now."

"Ankle exercises?" Garrett raised an eyebrow.

"It's to help get your ankle back into moving again. You're still gonna need rest, but that doesn't mean you can't do a few things while you rest."

"Then what do I do?"

"For now, just rotate it a little. Rest when it becomes too painful. We'll get more in-depth on the exercises as it gets better."

"Alright." Garrett winced a little as he moved his foot, but knew it could be worse.

"So, what do you have in mind for tonight?" Alex was almost finished with the book, so he didn't see why he couldn't take a little time off to practice or go steal something.

"Well, seeing as our money is running low, go take a job from Basso. And kid, take a few arrows with you." Garrett spoke, "I'm not letting you use my bow, but you can take the shafts and crystals to use if needed. Might even steal yourself a bow while you're at it."

"Alright. And this time, I'm making sure I get a map."

"Good luck, they can be hard to find sometimes if Basso doesn't have them. One more thing: if you need more crystals, just check around the environment. They can come out of their elements, like water crystals being formed in water and so on."

"I'll keep that in mind." Alex went downstairs to grab a few of each of the arrow types, as well as the thief's training quiver. It was an old, battered thing, but was in good shape. The virus had no doubt that the arrows would be safe in it, but he would have to be careful about jostling them too much. He could easily break them if they were handled too roughly, and Alex was the definition of a rough ride at times. He _really_ didn't need a Fire arrow exploding while he was sneaking around, but if he put something in to soften the blow, it might make it harder to take out the arrows. Alex would have to chance it.

* * *

When he returned, Alex didn't come back with riches or loot, but a new bow and a letter.

"It was in the safe." the younger man gave it to the thief, "And, as creepy as it sounds, it was addressed to you." Garrett raised an eyebrow, but took the parchment and opened it.

 _'Dear Thief,_

 _'I see you have a new apprentice or accomplice. Either way, this is a warning. Send him away or there_ will _be consequences._

 _\- J'_ Alex was reading this as well over the top of the paper, his skills allowing him to read upside down.

"Who's J?"

"I don't know." Garrett handed the letter back, "Throw it in the cloister. I would do it from here, but I don't want to miss." Alex smiled and crumpled the paper into a ball. With a flick of his hand, he threw the paper into the burning cloister with a beautiful sizzle.

 _"Nice shot!"_

 _"Too bad I could never do that..."_

 _"Don't pity yourself, he probably just got it through some luck."_

"Good shot." Garrett's face was still covered by the scarf he wore, but his eyes were smirking. Otherwise, he only wore a shirt and pants. Alex didn't mind, he knew the thief didn't trust him completely and he was sure he would have acted the same way if Garrett had invaded his home. In fact, he would have killed the Master Thief without a second thought if those had been the circumstances. So, as he met Garrett's gaze, Alex once again wondered why he couldn't kill the shorter man and save himself a lot of time and knowledge.

"Something wrong?" Alex blinked at Garrett's question, not realizing how long he had been staring.

"No, no, just thinking about something."

"I hope it doesn't involve trying to kill me, because I won't hesitate to hurt you if it means I survive." Garrett's hand slowly inched toward his bow.

"I won't, but I'm sorry I didn't get anything." Alex sighed, "I think that this J person may have also been the one who robbed my first job before I got there. Do you think you might know them?"

"I've got a lot of enemies. It's possible." Garrett gave the virus a look, "You can still go out and loot homes of smaller things, you know. You don't always have to go for the big things. It's how I keep going."

"I know that, but I don't tend to remember it. I'm not a professional thief like you." Garrett narrowed his eyes and pointed to the large window.

"Go out and show me that you don't need to be on a big job to get a lot of money. Rob at least 3 houses of everything valuable before you come back." Alex crossed his arms.

"And why should I do as you say?"

"You don't want me to starve, do you? And you need money for food and medical supplies." Garrett had a sly look on his face, "I know you care about me, and like you said, you aren't a robber. You feel obligated to purchase instead of steal what you need, and I don't mind that as long as it doesn't cost much." he nodded to the window, "You want me to be okay, go out and get some money."

"And what if I didn't?" Alex stepped closer, trying to unnerve the other, "I can do _very_ horrible things to you, Garrett. Do you really want to push me while in the state you're in?" He allowed his eyes to flash red briefly for good measure.

"My code of morals only restricts me from killing anyone, even the bad guys." Garrett placed a hand on the outside of Alex's thigh, "I'm not above doing other things, though, to get what I want." Alex raised an eyebrow, feeling the thief's touch plainly, as if the man had been touching his skin. The clothing was biomass, after all, and was as much Alex's skin as his actual skin was. But he knew what the older man was doing from his memories, being coy and sly to trick the human-faced monster, so he covered Garrett's hand with his own.

"Okay." Alex grinned devilishly, "I'll go do some stealing. When I come back, though, I want information."

"Glad to hear we're on the same side again." Garrett moved his hand away and Alex allowed it. The virus, like the thief, was just as willing to do whatever was needed to get what he wanted, though he had other ways of going about it. He didn't care whether or not sex was on the agenda (though he was interested in how he, of all people, was supposed to have sex when he wasn't even a true human or animal), all he wanted to do was get home and see his sister.

"Stay out of trouble, Thief." Alex said as he tramped up the stairs to the window. He was gone before Garrett could respond, both relieving and frustrating him. He was relieved he didn't have to hear what Garrett had to say, but he was frustrated that he didn't get to hear it. He wanted to know _and_ didn't want to know. It was a strange feeling, but he welcomed it. It made him feel more human that he was, and whenever he got a feeling like that, he never pushed it away.

* * *

 _I must be going stir-crazy._ Garrett thought as he laid back. Why had he tried appealing to Alex's possible desires to get the kid to do what he wanted? Like he had said, he wasn't above doing it, but getting a bit of gold was no reason to be sex-appealing. Unless it was something really good he wanted to get his hands on. But it was also wrong, in a way. Brothels were a part of life in the City, but it was unheard of for male-to-male sex. How was he even supposed to go about it if it ever came to that? The Master Thief hoped it never did.

But, if Alex came back with a lot of loot, Garrett realized that he would have to speak of secrets he wasn't ready to divulge yet. He didn't want to speak of them because they were either too hurtful to remember or Alex had no right to hear of them. Some of the memories the kid might want to know could be personal, after all. Garrett would have to just wait and see.

* * *

 _ **Well, here's the newest chapter! It's mostly supposed to be a filler, I guess, since most of the major stuff is going to happen once Garrett's back on his feet. Sorry for not adding this last chapter, but if I make a mistake or someone's too OOC, tell me and I'll fix it. Please read & review, and I'll see you all later!**_


End file.
